


Two's Better Than One

by PegaPonyPrincess



Category: Fire Emblem: If | Fire Emblem: Fates
Genre: F/M, Mother-Daughter Relationship, follows conquest, in which kamui dies in the final battle but his army succeeds, mostly angst, repost from tumblr
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-03-10
Updated: 2016-03-10
Packaged: 2018-05-25 21:10:05
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 692
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6210229
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PegaPonyPrincess/pseuds/PegaPonyPrincess
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>In which Kana discovers that Mama's stronger than Papa.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Two's Better Than One

Kana always thought that Papa was the strongest person in the world.

Mama showed her she was wrong.

Mama with her nervous laugh, clunky steps and the sound of a dish crashing to the ground. Mama whose face wavers at Papa's name, tears lingering at her eyes. Mama who takes time each night to see her to her room, a hand on her back.  Mama says nothing to her, nothing about the lack of Papa.

Papa always tucked her in. Ruffled her peach hair, a soft but broken smile on his lips. Mama then came next, with a rested hand on her forehead and delivered a gentle kiss to her forehead. How she cherished those days.  
Mama cried over Papa's body, openly in front of everyone. Shoulders shaking, with head low and Kana didn't know how to breathe. Her Papa was her everything. Papa was Mama's everything.

Papa kept her close, and Mama closer. Sometimes she was a little jealous, because Mama received most of Papa's attention and love. Papa always made sure to keep Mama out of danger, growled a little louder than normally when she took a critical hit. She never understood it. Mama always insisted she was fine.

Mama used to look at flowers with her. Liked to tell her which ones were the prettiest, which ones reminded her of her bright smile. Kana always wondered why Mama seemed a bit distraught upon the sight of wiltering flowers that lingered on the battlefield. 

Kana doesn't know how to talk to Mama about what happened. She doesn't know what Mama's feeling when she's fixing her hair. When Mama's fingers work diligently and carefully, always creating the perfect bun. When Mama suddenly pulls her into a hug from behind, and tries her best not to cry.

Mama doesn't say it, but Kana's sure she reminds her of Papa.

Because like Papa, she can turn into a dragon. Like Papa she's looked up to by her friends, expected of good choices. Like Papa she's true royalty.

Kana waits. For days, weeks, and soon it turns into a few months. Mama's smile never comes back to its true colors, her eyes don't hold that same shine they used to whenever Papa stood by her. Mama's tears still fall.

But Kana hurts too. She misses her Papa, and she misses the person Mama was. She fears that Mama's gone forever too, lost in grief. That Mama's last desire is to join Papa and leave her alone.

Mama finds Kana late one night, striking a grim tree with Papa's Yato. Eyes closed and arms moving, she doesn't know Mama's behind her until she hears her shaky voice.

"Kana."

And she jumps. Normally Mama was sleeping at this time. "M-Mama?"

Her jade eyes flicker with worry. "You know, your father would be disappointed with what you're doing with his sword."

The Nohrian princess blinks, unable to process Mama's words fast enough. Papa never comes up in conversation.

"Come on," with an extended hand, Mama shows a broken smile. "Let's get you to bed."

"Mama..." Kana can't hold her emotions in any longer. Sudden tears break out, and she tries to cover her face. She refuses to be weak for Mama!

She knows Mama falters, she can hear it. How Mama takes a longer breath and kneels (and nearly trips on her way down), hands raising to lower Kana's own. "H-hey, you're not in trouble..!"

Mama was never good at scolding her, Kana remembers suddenly. Papa always took care of that. Somewhere, between all of her sobs, she manages "I miss Papa". She dares to open her eyes, and finds Mama with a broken look. Mama, who's trying her best to comfort her, fighting back tears she's shed many times before.

"I do too."

She launches herself into Mama's arms, expecting to meet her cold embrace. Kana knows of ice that runs in Mama's veins, the magic she keeps behind her fingertips. Tonight though, she is warm. _Inviting._

Mama cradles her closer. "We have to be strong for each other, okay...?" Her voice cracks. Kana ignores the tears that fall. "That's what your father would have wanted."


End file.
